A rape accusation made against Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department

In a detailed Facebook post, actress Kristina Cohen has alleged that Westwick raped her three years ago at his apartment in Los Angeles, while she was attending a dinner party with her then-boyfriend.

Now Westwick has responded to the claims, saying he has “never” assaulted “any woman”.

After Westwick allegedly suggested that “we should all f**k”, Cohen says in the post that she asked to leave. However, she says she felt pressured into staying because her partner – an unnamed producer who she states was friends with the Gossip Girl star – didn’t want to make Westwick feel awkward.

“Ed insisted we stay for dinner,” Cohen wrote. “I said I was tired and wanted to leave, trying to get out of what was already an uncomfortable situation, [so] Ed suggested I nap in the guest bedroom.”

Cohen has said that she “went and laid down in the guest room” and eventually fell asleep.

“I was woken up abruptly by Ed on top of me, his fingers entering my body,” she recalled. “I told him to stop, but he was strong. I fought him off as hard as I could but he grabbed my face in his hands, shaking me, telling me he wanted to f**k me.

“I was paralyzed, terrified. I couldn’t speak, I could no longer move. He held me down and raped me.”

“It was a nightmare,” said Cohen, “and the days following weren’t any better.”

The actress went on to recall that her then-boyfriend “put the blame on me” and told her that she was an “active participant” in the crime. She alleged that she was warned not to say anything, because her fledgling acting career would be affected.

“I now realise the ways in which these men in power prey on women, and how this tactic is used so frequently in our industry, and surely, in many others,” she said, explaining that she felt inspired to come forward by the “other women and men” who have publicly denounced their sexual abusers as part of the wide-ranging #MeToo movement. “I’m sickened to see men like Ed respected in such a public way.”

Cohen continued: “How does this end? Men like Ed using fame and power to rape and intimidate but then continue through the world collecting accolades…

“I hope that my stories and the stories of others help to reset and realign the toxic environments and power imbalances that have created these monsters.”

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Kayleigh Dray

Kayleigh Dray is editor of Stylist.co.uk, where she chases after rogue apostrophes and specialises in films, comic books, feminism and television. On a weekend, you can usually find her drinking copious amounts of tea and playing boardgames with her friends.